Nail-holding tool.



H. PERKlNS.

NAIL HOLDING TOOL.

APPLICATION FILED OCT-12,19l5.

1,189,998. Patented July 4,1916.

WITNESS 7 HERMAN PERKINS, OF MONTAGUF], MASSACHUSETTS.

NAIL-HOLDING TO OL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 4:, 1916.

Application filed October 12, 1915. Serial No. 55,437.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HERMAN Pnnxrns, a citizenof the United States, and a resident of Montague, in the county ofFranklin and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and ImprovedNail-Holding Tool, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

My invention relates to a device for holding a nail and properlypositioning same for driving with a hammer.

The invention is more particularly designed in use for holding nailswhen putting on metal roofing, in which work there is great danger ofthe workman in uring his fingers when starting a nail through thecrowning side of from one to four thicknesses of corrugated steel. Withmy improved tool the nail can be held and struck with force enough tosend it through with one blow without any possibility of injuring thefingers.

The invention has in view, also, to provide a tool that may be handledwith great convenience.

The invention will be particularly ex plained in the more specificdescription following.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of thisspecification in which similar reference characters indicatecorresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a nail holding tool embodying myinvention, indieating the manner in which the tool is gripped and thenail held; Fig. 2 1s a perspective view of the tool with the jaws open;and Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the mode of disposing of thehammer when inserting the nail between the aws of the tool.

My improved nail-holding tool includes jaws, 10, 11, presenting opposedfiat faces, disposed vertically and havmg V-shaped vertical depressions12, oppositely disposed therein, said depressions being preferablyV-shape. The opposed depressions receive the opposite sides of a nail,indicated by the letter A, so that the jaws, when closed, will tightlyclamp the nail.

Adjacent to the jaws, 10, 11, the shanks are flattened as at 13, theflattened portions being thus disposed at right angles to the,

faces of the jaws. A pivot pin or rivet 14,

extends through the flattened portions 13. Rearward of the pivotportions 13, the shanks are extended as at 15, 16, to lie approximatelyparallel when the jaws are closed, said extensions 15, 16, beingvertically disposed and comparatively narrow to present a minimum totalwidth.

At the extreme rear end of one shank extension 15, an arched thumb loop17, is

hand, and the hammer laid across the shank extensions 15, 16, andgripped by the forefinger; with the right hand the nail A is enteredbetween the jaws, the thumb of the left hand serving to close the jaws.The tool will then be grasped in the manner indicated in Fig. 1, withthe nail firmly held between the jaws 10, 11, so that the nail'may beproperly positioned for being driven. The user is now free to give aforceful blow of the hammer without danger of injuring the fingers ofthe left hand.

Having thus described my invention I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent.

1. A nail-holding tool, comprising elongated shanks pivotally united andpresenting vertically disposed jaws at the front ends, said jawspresenting opposite depressions to receive the opposite sides of thenail, the rear end of one shank terminating in an arched thumb loop,disposed laterally at the outside of said shank, the opposite shankhaving at the rear end at the outside thereof an arm elongated in alateral direction to an extent to afford a hand hold to be gripped whilethe tool is in use, said lateral arm terminating at its outer end in aforwardly extending member forming a guard to prevent the hand slippinglaterally from the said arm.

2. A nail-holding tool, comprising pivotally connected shanks presentingnail gripping jaws, the one shank terminating at its rear end in a thumbloop and the other name to this specification in the presence of shankhaving at the rear end at the outside two subscribing Witnesses. thereofan arm extending latera to an extent to a-fiord a hand-hold to be{gripped HERMAN P while the tool is in use, While the thumb isWitnesses: received in said thumb 100p. LUCILE F. MOREAU,

In testimony whereof I have signed my JAMES J. LEARY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe "Commissioner of Patents. Wanhington, D. G.

